---
title: The Three P's of Fire Safety
description: Prepare, prevent, practice and educate. Follow these 3 P's of fire safety to keep your home and family safe from the tragic effects of a home fire. October is Fire Prevention month and a great time to practice safety with the whole family.
---

[Custom Alarm Blog ](https://www.custom-alarm.com/blog)

# [The Three P's of Fire Safety](https://www.custom-alarm.com/blog/the-three-ps-of-fire-safety)

 Written by [Custom Alarm](https://www.custom-alarm.com/blog/author/custom-alarm) | Oct 8, 2018 7:01:51 PM

### **Prepare - Prevent - Practice**

October is Fire Prevention month and a great time to make sure we are prepared for the unimaginable. In the U.S. in 2017, there were a total of [357,000 home fires](https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Campaigns/Fire-Prevention-Week/Fire-Facts). To bring it close to home, in 2016 Minnesota reported a total of [4,621 residential fires](https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/sfm/mfirs/Pages/Reporting_Statistics.aspx) with over $125 million in damage. 

Children are an important part of any fire safety plan and teaching them about the importance of being cautious and careful around fire is a big step in preventing fire related accidents. Every year children playing with fire set more than [20,000 fires](https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/research/areas-of-research/center-for-injury-research-and-policy/injury-topics/burns/children-playing-with-fire).

Let’s take a look at what you can do to help prevent, prepare and practice for a fire to lower the chance of it happening to you.

**Prepare and Prevent**

While practicing your plan and educating family members is important, preparing your home can help save on damages and give you a sense of peace that you have done what you can to protect your family. Here are some things you can do now to prepare and prevent:

- Smoke Alarms- test smoke alarms once a month, replace the batteries every year and replace the entire smoke alarm every ten years. 
    - These should be located inside AND outside every sleeping area, on EVERY level.
    - A [monitored Smoke/CO detector](https://www.custom-alarm.com/lp/monthlyspecial) gives you an extra level of protection. You can focus on getting out safely, while the fire department is dispatched for you, even when you are not home.<https://www.custom-alarm.com/lp/monthlyspecial>
- Upper levels of the home should have escape ladders stored in a place that is easy and quick to get to in an emergency.
- Store matches and lighters out of a child’s reach.
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment – furnace, space heater, fireplace, etc.
- Turn off portable heaters when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Never leave the kitchen unattended while cooking. Create three feet, “kid-free zone” in the kitchen around the stove and areas with hot food or drink.
- Inform babysitters or nannies of the escape plan for when you are not at home.
- House numbers should be clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.

** ****Educate**- an important part to include in the practice portion

- When fire is present, close the doors behind you as you leave, this can slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire.
- If there is smoke, get low and go under the smoke when escaping.
- Once outside, stay outside. Do NOT go back into a burning building.

**Practice**

Create a plan that is easy to remember for any family member in case of a fire. Developing a plan before an emergency will help your family respond quickly and calmly if anything were to happen.

- Draw a map of your home. Mark two exits from each room and a path to the outside from each exit.
- Teach children how to escape on their own in case you are unable to help them.
- Agree on a meeting place outside of the home that is a safe distance from the house – a mailbox, street sign, neighbors, etc.
- Practice your home fire drills twice a year.

 

Looking for a fun way to get your children involved? Fire Prevention Week is celebrated October 7-13 and the Rochester Fire Department will be hosting an open house at all five fire stations, Oct. 8-10 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm each night. Custom Alarm will be at Fire stations 1 & 4 with some fun giveaways and educational material to help your family prepare! 

<https://www.custom-alarm.com/fire-prevention-week-2018-rochester-mn>

[View full post](https://www.custom-alarm.com/blog/the-three-ps-of-fire-safety)

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